This is SO disappointing to hear…
The new Lilo & Stitch live-action remake has been under a lot of scrutiny ever since the first trailer dropped in March. Of course, there was the usual argument of people who think remakes of classics are so overdone — but even the fans who were excited to see their beloved characters in this new movie were left feeling strange about the whole thing.
If you’re a big Lilo & Stitch fan, you know about Jumba Jookiba and Pleakley — but if you don’t, here’s a quick explanation. Stitch is a small alien who escapes his creator and ends up on earth, eventually being adopted by a Hawaiian girl named Lilo who believes he’s a dog. Jumba and Pleakley are two aliens who have been sent to earth to track down the missing Stitch.
Related: Robert De Niro’s Child Comes Out As Trans! And She’s Telling Her Story…
Because of their alien appearance, a big — and very beloved — part of the story is that Jumba and Pleakley have to dress as humans to disguise the fact they’re really otherworldly. Despite them both being male, Jumba takes on the role of dressing in more masculine clothing while Pleakley often disguises in feminine attire, often with wigs and dresses. Here’s a great example:
You can probably see where this is going…
In the new movie’s trailer, fans were quick to point out how Pleakley was lacking his usual wig and sundress. See for yourself around the 1:59 mark (below):
Yep, that’s not the Pleakley fans know and love! WTF happened?
Well, the live-action film’s director Dean Fleischer Camp has given us an answer… Sort of. In a new TikTok this week, he went through some comments on the trailer and responded to them. Near the end of the video, he read out a pretty common critique of the film:
“Why is Pleakley not wearing the dress?”
To which he responded, with an annoyed look on his face:
“And I just want to say, I tried.”
You guys, he even shows an original storyboard sketch of Pleakley wearing the dress! OMG! See it (below):
@marceltheshellwshoeson
Wow…
In the comments, fans were left pretty disappointed — but not surprised — in Disney‘s decision, remarking:
“That ‘I tried’ speaks volumes. Your concept of Pleakley in his pretty clothes looks great”
“Baby when he said he tried, he means Disney said no. Given the political climate – it’s not shocking Disney wanted no part. Sad, but I won’t blame the director. Ill blame Disney.”
“Disney is such cowards if they don’t include Pleakley in a wig and dress… no way a movie made for an audience 20+ years ago had a more accepting climate than current times, we’re really regressing”
“Thanks for addressing the Pleakley concerns. At least we know it’s not your fault.”
“poor guy created an original piece of genre art and immediately got swept up by the bureaucratic capitalist machine”
“i’m glad to hear you tried but still really disappointed in the decision”
At least the director won’t take the blame for it anymore!
Thoughts, Perezcious readers? Let us know in the comments (below).
[Image via Disney/YouTube]
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